Heartland helps High River
Sold-out event raises money for flood relief
The Alberta-produced CBC hit Heartland will be giving 1,000 fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the series on Saturday while raising thousands of dollars for flood relief in High River.
Tickets for Heartlanders for High River, which will be held Saturday afternoon at the Calgary studios of the series, sold out in just over 24 hours after news spread through Facebook, Twitter and on the Heartland blog.
Fans paid $25 for tickets. There will also be a live auction, with 10 unique lots that fans across North America can bid on.
“We had no idea what to expect, honestly,” said executive producer Jordy Randall. “We had suspicions that it (Heartlanders for High River) might go quickly. But I have to say I was certainly surprised it was 24 hours. I could see a week, but 24 hours was stunning.
“It’s a real testament to the fans of Heartland, who are so passionate ... I only wish we could accommodate more people. We had to figure out what we could do well and deal with properly. I wish we could have had 10,000 people.”
Producers of Heartland do not release the exact location of its Calgary studios to the public, but ticket holders will get four hours on Saturday to tour the facilities and participate in other events. Jody Seeley of Sun Country Radio will hold a one-hour Q&A session with stars Amber Marshall, Michelle Morgan, Graham Wardle, Chris Potter and Alisha Newton. Fans can meet up with Heartland’s horses, including Spartan, Harley, Copper, Phoenix and Paint, and check out sets and props.
Fans will also get a chance to win a walk-on role in an upcoming episode of Heartland.
On Friday, a live auction will be set up through the Heartland blog (cbc.ca/Heartland/blog), which is open everyone.
Heartland, now shooting its seventh season, films in Calgary, Millarville and High River.
In particular, fans will recognize Maggie’s Diner, which is a frequent location for the show.
That building, like much of High River, was deluged by massive flooding in late June.
Randall says the show’s crews have been working to get that particular set back up and running.
“We’ve had several episodes that were supposed to have scenes take place at Maggie’s Diner in High River that were rewritten to take place elsewhere to allow the episodes to be produced on time,” Randall says. “We’re hoping to back in there in the next few episodes so we can pick up that storyline. But it’s had an impact on us.”
Those wanting to donate to High River flood relief can make out cheques to High River Disaster Relief Fund and mail them to Heartlanders for High River, Rescued Horse Season 7 Inc., Building F-1, 2950 Hochwald Ave. S.W, Calgary, Alberta, T3E 7H5.